


On Kalmer Roads

by Senigata



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Sex, Shameless Smut, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:55:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26312242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Senigata/pseuds/Senigata
Summary: [Sequel to In the Heat of the Moment]Leaving Midgar had been harder than she thought it would be, but there was nothing left or her. Now she found herself walking through the wasteland with Cloud by her side, her thoughts drifting back to that night they had shared not too long ago...
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 6
Kudos: 76





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Been wanting to write a sequel for my one Remake fic for a while now.

** On Kalmer Roads **

The crunching of scree pervaded the air as the soles of well worn boots stepped on the dry ground of the Midgar wasteland, its sound having been their companion for the last hour as they stepped into one of the many canyons that separated the area from the lush, green plains beyond.

When was the last time she had actually seen grass?

_Has it really been five years already?_ she wondered to herself, looking up at the sun above, holding up her hand to shield her eyes a little. If she remembered her old lessons right it must be early afternoon now.

A sigh escaped her.

"Tifa?" she heard her traveling partner say and turned to look at him. Cloud's mako tinted eyes were focused on her and she could hear the note of concern in his voice. "Are you alright? Do you need to rest?"

Tifa shook her head, but gave him a small appreciative smile. "I'm fine, don't worry."

The corners of his lips curled into one of his own small smiles. Tifa turned to look around them, eyes moving over the walls of natural stone around them.

"You really think this is the right way?" she asked.

"Positive," Cloud replied. "A lot of these canyons were used to bring in material for when Midgar was first built. It's the most direct way out of the wasteland."

"Did you use it in the past?"

"Yeah." He nodded, but didn't say anything else.

Tifa took a deep breath, hand moving to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "Wonder how the others are doing?"

They had all agreed that traveling in one group would draw too much attention, and they also agreed that protecting Aerith from getting captured by Shinra again also had top priority, so they had split up and headed into different directions to travel to their next destination: a town called Kalm.

What Tifa did _not_ expect was that Cloud and her would be the ones to go together, while Red and Barret would keep an eye on Aerith.

"They're fine," Cloud assured her. "They all know what they're doing. And Barret's a capable leader."

She chuckled at his words and stepped in front of him, a hand on her hip. "Did I just hear you compliment Barret?"

Cloud's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before turning to look away.

"You know...that's good! I'm glad you finally get along," she told him.

"I suppose I had him pegged wrong."

"Barret can come off strong. Believe me, I also get annoyed with him from time to time, but he's a good guy underneath it all." She locked eyes with Cloud's, still so different from when they were children, but now holding a familiar sparkle that took her back years. "...Just like you."

A noise escaped Cloud and he stared at her for a moment, before tearing his gaze away and looking up ahead. "W-We need to be careful. There's monsters around these parts."

Saying those words, Cloud stepped past her and Tifa had to giggle. Sometimes he was acting way too cute.

_Just like back then._

Her mind wandered down memory lane to that night 5 years ago, and the promise they had made that night. She still remembered the chilly mountain breeze as it had caressed her skin while she had sneaked out of her house, a little later than she would have liked because she had spent too much time to make herself look pretty for the cute boy from next door asking her out to the town's famous dating spot.

Of course, the excitement had soon turned into disappointment when he told her that he would leave for Midgar in the coming spring. But the way he had talked had stirred something inside her, and it was that something that had made her ask him to make a promise with her.

His reaction had been so cute!

But that he still remembered the promise just like she did...

When he had said those words to her, it had been like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, alleviating some of her worries.

It meant a lot to her. _He_ meant a lot to her.

Heat rushed into her face when images of what transpired after started flooding her mind. Those damned thin walls!

But, she really couldn't resist! Not after all that flirting earlier that day had set something inside her ablaze. Flirting wasn't exactly something new for her. Usually, she only did it to humor some of her patrons and to get a few tips, and when she noticed that it became a little too serious for her liking she tried to let the person in question down gently. Or, not too gently, if they didn't get the message the first time.

She didn't really have the time or interest in a relationship.

It had been different with Cloud, though. Starting with the flower he had gotten from Aerith the two had begun a little cat and mouse game involving compliments, light touches, and outright flirting.

" _Beautiful,"_ she heard his voice echo in her mind and she couldn't help biting her lip the same way she had then. Any other guy pulling that on her would have gotten thrown out ass first. But not Cloud. Never Cloud.

That word hadn't left her mind even after her usual worries about Avalanche's operation had started to crawl back out of their hole, remaining there for the rest of the day until late at night; driving her just a little bit insane until she couldn't take it anymore.

It was supposed to be quick. Just a tiny rush of pleasure to get it out of her system, but it evolved, turning far more intense and panting his name like it was gospel to her.

Then Cloud had knocked on her door. Embarrassment had soon turned back into burning need, and one thing led to another.

She didn't regret it, and had welcomed it, in fact. A night of passion to chase the doubt away. Of course, it had only done so for a fleeting moment, and the events afterward had been a blur of chaos that still left her reeling, but that night had been theirs and theirs alone.

Her eyes burned into Cloud's back as he walked a little ahead of her. She felt the sudden urge to run up to him and touch him, fingertips itching to feel more of his warm skin while they—

_Get your mind out of the gutter!_ she reminded herself, shaking her head violently. _There's more important things to worry about!_

And there were a lot of things that she was worried about. The planet, Sephiroth, Cloud...

" _It's been...five years, hasn't it?"_

_It's been seven years,_ Tifa thought to herself. Something was going on with him, and she needed to know what it was. But she had to be smart about it. Gently prying to get some answers from him, like when he had told her about his SOLDIER days.

But that was easier said than done when another part of her brain wanted nothing more than to repeat the other night over and over again.

And if the tension between them was anything to go by, so did he.

_You're a mess, has anyone ever told you that?_ she asked herself with a sigh.

Her musing came to a crashing halt when she felt herself bump into his back, and she wanted to kick herself for not paying any attention.

Cloud didn't seem to be phased by it and instead looked up ahead. Taking a step back, Tifa peeked out from behind him and saw an old looking building nestled against the canyon wall.

"What's that?" she asked as she stepped up next to him, glad to have something to take her mind off _things_ , if only momentarily.

"Looks like an old construction building," Cloud replied.

"Should we check it out? Might have some supplies left."

"I doubt it. Anything useful was probably long since scavenged."

"I guess you're right..."

Cloud crossed his arms in front of his chest and started to tap a gloved finger on his arm for a moment, before turning his gaze towards her, the corners of his lips curling up slightly.

"But I suppose it can't hurt to look. If nothing else we took a small break," he said.

"That's the spirit." Tifa playfully slapped his arm with a grin on her face, then headed towards the building.

The inside was about as well maintained as expected. Dust and dirt on every surface, glass strewn across the floor and she spotted some holes in the ceiling that fallen stones had left in their wake.

"Well," Tifa said as Cloud stepped in behind her, pointing to a door on the right. "You'll take this side, I'll take that?"

"Sure."

They split up and Tifa immediately went to check one of the many cabinets but found nothing aside from some empty bottles of beer. She checked the others as well, with about the same success, before walking through one of the doors into what looked like a locker room.

Just when she thought she wouldn't find anything there, she came upon some blankets that were thrown into the back of one locker.

_Better than nothing,_ she thought and took the blankets, grimacing at the musky smell coming from them. At the very least they should be able to shield them from the elements.

"Found some blankets," she called out towards Cloud.

"Then you had more luck than me. All I found was dust bunnies and cockroa—oh!"

"What is it?" Tifa asked, returning to the main room where Cloud was also just walking back in. He held out a folded up piece of paper.

"Found a map," he said with a small smirk, unfolding it as she walked over to him. It was a map of the general area.

"This will definitely come in handy."

"Hm." He nodded and folded the map again. Afterwards they each took a blanket and folded them up into bundles, before heading back outside.

They had just stepped out in front of the building when the sound of rolling thunder made them turn westward. A wall of dark clouds had formed in the distance, rumbling ominously as it headed in their direction, and a gust of wind brought with it the smell of rain.

A squall line.

"Shit!" Cloud cursed.

"Should we get back inside?"

"That place has more holes than Mrs. Rose's goat cheese." He shook his head. "No way are we gonna stay dry in there."

"So what are we supposed to do? Outrun it?"

Downright impossible with how fast it was moving in their direction. Winters in the Midgar region seriously sucked!

A frown formed on Cloud's face, and he tapped his foot in a way that told her he was trying to think of a solution.

"There's caves around these parts!" he exclaimed after a moment, looking directly into her eyes. "We can use one as a shelter."

"Then we better find one quick!"

They hastily continued forward, the only choice they really had in this case, trying to find a cave before the squall line would catch up to them. But luck wasn't on their side, and soon enough the wind whipped across the entire canyon, followed by tiny droplets of rain that turned into a watery hell. The rain hit her skin like tiny pebbles, and Tifa struggled to stay on her feet as an especially strong gust pushed from the back.

Cloud reached out and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to try and shield her with his body as best he could.

"Over there!" Cloud called out over the sound of the rain and thunder, pointing forward at the entrance to a cave that promised refuge from this blasted hail that was stinging her exposed skin.

It took them way longer than she liked, but they finally managed to get out of the rain.

"You okay?" Cloud asked as soon as they stepped inside.

"Do I look like I'm okay!?" Tifa shot back, not able to keep the annoyance out of her voice as she stepped away from him, shivering as her cold and wet clothes clung to her body. She shook her limbs to get some of the rain off her, then reached behind to pull her long hair over her shoulder.

"Not really," he replied with a smirk. "You're kinda looking like a wet Mu."

Wringing out her hair, Tifa shot Cloud a glare, before smirking herself and reaching a hand out to flick one of his now very droopy looking hair spikes. "Says the guy looking like a wet Chocobo."

He let out a small huff that ended in a short laugh which Tifa joined in.

"Guess we'll be staying here for a while," Tifa said, rubbing her arms to try and warm up a little.

"Hm." Cloud gave her a nod, trying and failing to hide that he wasn't faring any better himself. Ahead of them was a small path that was going up, leading deeper into the inside of the cavern. "Let's go further in."

"Right."

As they walked, Tifa soon noticed a dull light up ahead and she wondered if this was perhaps a Materia cave. She suspected even this close to Midgar something like that was possible. But the closer they got, Tifa realized that it wasn't the magical glow of condensed Mako, but actually fungi that was lighting the way.

Partway they stepped into a round chamber illuminated by the glow, small formations of fungi scattered all around, mixed in with cave moss, and Tifa couldn't help but be awed by the sight.

She knew Mt. Nibel like the back of her hand, so caves weren't exactly new to her, but she had never seen anything like this before.

"Incredible..." she murmured. It reminded her a little of the Mako fountain back home, which was surely dried up by now. A frown formed on her features at the thought.

_This_ is what they were fighting for. To make sure that even in the coming years marvels like this could still exist.

"Look," Cloud pointed out, pulling her out of her thoughts, and walked into the center of the small chamber. He knelt down on the ground and picked something up.

A piece of wood.

"Guess we weren't the first people to seek shelter in here," he said as he picked up another. Tifa walked over and knelt down next to him. Nearby, she spotted the remains of a campfire cleverly placed between two stalagmites.

There was enough wood to last them at least a couple of hours, perhaps longer if they got creative.

"At the very least we can dry our things," Tifa said.

"Yeah." Cloud nodded and rose back up. He fixed her with a look. "You got fire Materia?"

"Yup!" she affirmed, patting the wristband of her gloves where the tiny orbs of ancient knowledge were embedded.

"Try to get a fire started. I'll have a look around to make sure nothing else decided to seek shelter in here." He placed the bundled up blanket on the ground and headed out of the chamber.

Tifa gathered some of the wood and walked over to the remains of the old campfire, using it as a foundation for the new one. Recalling what she had learned as a kid, she arranged the wood as effectively as possible, then picked some of the thankfully dry cave moss to serve as kindling.

After putting enough of it under the wood, Tifa held out her hand and focused her mind. The fire Materia gave a faint glow, before a small ball of fire shot from her palm towards the moss, igniting it in mere seconds.

Tifa watched the smoke rise up and follow the natural airflow of the cavern, giving a small nod in satisfaction. She then started unrolling the blankets, frowning when she saw that they didn't escape the rain either, but at the very least weren't completely soaked.

She got back up and shrugged her suspenders off, unhooking them from her skirt and fashioning an impromptu clothesline out of them that she hung up between the two stalagmites. Putting the blankets on it, she hoped they would be dry enough by the time Cloud returned.

Her eyes landed on the flames, dancing around and crackling ever so often. She once heard that people on the plate watched recordings of burning fireplaces to relax and fall asleep to, but to her it only made all her memories come back.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and when she opened them again she found herself back in Nibelheim, on that day five years ago. Flames licked at her skin as she ran around the town, trying desperately to find any survivors, the smell of blood and ash mixing together in a way that made her wonder if this was what hell smelled like.

Her body started to tremble, fists clenching while images of all the dead people flashed in front of her. People she knew, people she had cared about.

_Papa..._ Her eyes burned with unshed tears, but the anger deep inside her, burning just like the flames themselves, refused to let her cry.

A hand placed itself on her shoulder, and she found herself back in the here and now, a pair of mako tinted eyes looking at her with concern.

"Tifa...are you alright?" Cloud asked. "You were kinda spaced out there."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Tifa lied, rubbing a hand over her face. "Sorry. Got lost in thought for a moment. Still a lot to take in, hunting Sephiroth and all."

The look in his eyes became one of seriousness and she could see him clenching his jaw for just a second. "...He won't be getting away this time."

Deciding it was probably better to change the topic, Tifa put on a smile and asked: "So did you find anything?"

That seemed to do the trick, as Cloud's face visibly relaxed.

"The cave goes on for a bit longer, but I only found a dead end. No monsters hiding in here. And with a storm as bad as this one, they're not gonna come out of their hidey-holes any time soon to look for prey."

"Well, that's at least one thing less to worry about, right?" Tifa clapped her hands together, before stepping towards the fire again. She reached out and took hold of one of the blankets. It was drier, but still not completely so. Still, they would have to do. She took both off and turned towards Cloud.

"We can put our clothes here and—" she stopped when she realized she would be undressing in front of him. Biting her lip, she shifted from one leg to the other, eyes suddenly finding one of the glowing fungi _very_ fascinating. "C-could you turn around?"

Cloud gave her a puzzled look before his eyes widened in realization, and he turned away. "I-I'll just go see how the storm's doing!"

With those words, he all but dashed out of the cavern. Tifa watched as he left, her face beet red, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. After making sure that Cloud really was gone, she started to undress herself, taking off everything aside from her sports bra and shorts and hanging it up to dry, before putting the blanket over her shoulders and sitting down on the stony ground.

After a while, she heard steps echo into her direction, followed by Cloud's voice calling her.

"You can come in," she told him, pulling the blanket closer around her.

He entered the cavern, a hand covering his eyes, and Tifa found herself stifling a giggle while she picked up the other blanket to hold it out towards him. "You can look now, ya know."

Tifa watched as he dropped his hand and let out a subtle sigh of relief, before grabbing the blanket and shrugging off his own suspenders.

Biting her lip, she turned around to give him some privacy of his own.

"So, how's the weather looking?" she asked to drown out the sound of his rustling clothes, with only moderate success.

"Not good. I think it's gotten worse," Cloud replied.

"Any idea how long it might last?"

"At worst? The entire day," he told her. "It's probably for the best to simply stay put and continue tomorrow. We won't be making it to Kalm today, either way."

"Mhm." Tifa nodded. "You're probably right."

Another moment passed until she heard his steps approaching and he sat down near her, placing his boots next to hers at the fire. She turned towards Cloud and gave him a small smile.

"You know, aside from getting all soaked, this is actually kinda fun!" she said.

Cloud scoffed a little, but the corners of his lips curled upward still. "Seriously?"

"Well, yes, you know." She tilted her head to the side a little. "Like a camping trip."

"Not exactly how I would imagine a camping trip, to be honest."

"Oh? What do you imagine then?" Tifa asked.

"Hmm, I dunno..." Amusement sparkled in his Mako tinted eyes as he tapped a finger on the stone. "Marshmallows. Perhaps a guitar?"

"So we can sing songs?"

"Yeah."

A giggle escaped her at the mental image of them sitting at a campfire in the woods, eating marshmallows and singing songs on a hot summer night, simply enjoying their youth instead of chasing after the man that had destroyed their life and was now on a quest to destroy the whole planet.

Whatever cheer she had felt was immediately snuffed out at the thought of their situation, and a frown formed on her face.

"Tifa?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing," she lied. A sudden chill came over her, making her shiver and pull the blanket even closer. A sound came from Cloud's direction, and before she knew it he was right next to her, his arm moving around her shoulder and pulling her in.

"Cloud..."

"Sharing body heat is the best way to keep warm," he said, eyes focused on the fire in front of them. "...You don't mind, do you?"

Her lips curled into a small smile. "No. It's alright."

"Mhm."

They fell silent, and Tifa found herself nestling against him, seeking out the warmth of his body and letting it comfort her just like it did the other night when he held her tight, letting her cry some of the pain away.

Tifa felt herself stifle a yawn, blinking a few times to keep her eyes from closing, but the exhaustion from everything that happened was finally catching up to her, and Cloud was so warm...

Not being able to resist anymore, she closed her eyes, her mind slowly drifting off. The last thing that she thought before falling asleep was that no matter what, Cloud and she would be there for each other.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Tifa awoke again to the feeling of something moving underneath her, letting out a groan and turning to lie on her back.

"Cloud?" she murmured as she felt something shift, followed by the sound of wood on wood and crackling fire.

"Ah, sorry if I woke you up."

She yawned and shook her head, slowly cracking her eyes open, mind still fuzzy from sleep and teetering on that little edge between dream and reality. Her eyes met Mako tinted ones, gazing down from above. Rolling to her side, Tifa rested her hand on his leg and—

_Leg!?_

Sleep forgotten almost instantly, she all but jumped off him.

"Whoa, there!" Cloud exclaimed, narrowly avoiding getting accidentally head-butted by her.

"I'm sorry!" Tifa immediately apologized. "I didn't mean to fall asleep!"

"Hey, it's alright. No harm done."

"Still-"

"Tifa. It's cool, really," he interrupted her. "You must've been pretty beat."

Suppressing that wave of embarrassment trying to swallow her whole, Tifa breathed out and nodded. "How long was I out?"

"A few hours. It's probably evening by now."

"I see." In the distance, she could hear the faint sound of rain echoing outside the cavern. Good thing they had agreed to just stay put for the rest of the day. With a sigh, Tifa sat back next to him and looked at the small fire in front of them. It wouldn't last for too much longer, but the fungi scattered around the cavern would provide them with enough light.

"Hey, Cloud?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think Barret and the others made it through the storm alright?"

"I don't know. But I'm sure they're fine. The three managed alright at Shinra Tower, too." He then chuckled. "Maybe he gave an inspiring speech and the rain turned around?"

Tifa couldn't help but giggle at the image his words produced in her mind. "He does have a knack for those."

"When he's not angry."

"Yeah, he tends to do that too."

"Say..." Cloud turned his head to look at her. "How did you two meet anyway?"

"Oh?" She returned his gaze, amusement sparkling in her eyes as she cocked an eyebrow. "What happened to 'not interested'?"

"Got left behind during that crazy adventure we had over the last couple of days," he replied with a little shrug.

"Hmm, alright. I'll indulge you," Tifa said, hugging her legs towards her and looking back towards the flames.

"I was 18 at the time. I had just recently taken over 7th Heaven after the previous owner died. I felt it was only the right thing to do after working there for years." A look of sadness crossed her features. _And now it was nothing but a ruin._ Shaking her head, Tifa continued. "Anyway, one evening I was working like usual, when suddenly this huge guy with a gun arm walked into the place, looking to relax. Back then we had no neighborhood watch, so him showing up was met with quite a bit of wariness."

"And let me guess, after a couple of drinks some became a little too brave?"

"You got that right. One of my regulars had a little too much to drink, which was partly my fault I suppose, and went up to him. Didn't take long for a fight to break out, but—" She balled one of her fists. "I broke it up pretty fast."

"No one starts shit at 7th Heaven?"

"Exactly. I tossed them both out. You should've seen the look on Barret's face. I doubt he was expecting someone my size to overpower him so quickly." Tifa chuckled. "I must've left an impression though, because a couple of days later he returned, apologizing profusely. And a few weeks after that he approached me about Avalanche, having heard from reliable sources that I had a sizable grudge against Shinra. I was soon introduced to the rest of the bunch and the rest is history."

"You guys must've had some good times," Cloud commented.

"Yeah. Bad times too, of course, but mostly good..." Tifa trailed off, closing her eyes. The image of Jessie, as she died right in front of her eyes, flashed through her mind, and the pain the memory evoked threatened to tear her apart.

Not too long ago they had all been together, celebrating their first victory over Shinra, not knowing that they had actually set the countdown of their own destruction.

And now she was left with nothing; just like five years ago.

_That's not true,_ a voice in the back of her mind told her. _You still got Cloud. He won't just abandon you. He promised, didn't he?_

Yes. Two times she had lost her home now, but this time Cloud was with her. And he understood just how it felt.

Opening her eyes once more, she stared deep into Cloud's bright blue irises. "Are you going to tell them about Sephiroth?"

She watched as hesitancy, sadness, and anger all mixed together in a whirlwind of emotions inside his eyes before he shut them tight and gripped the blanket over his shoulder tightly enough that she saw his knuckles turn white. He remained like this for a moment, before releasing a shaky breath.

"I should... shouldn't I? It would make them understand better."

"Yeah." Tifa nodded. And hopefully she would understand better too, now. Why did he say five years? Was there something she was missing?

_No use fretting over it now I suppose_ , she thought, breathing out through her nose. Getting back to her feet, she walked over to their clothes, reaching a hand out and brushing her fingers over the fabric of her top.

It wasn't completely dry, but it would be by tomorrow even without the fire, so that was good.

She turned on her heel and walked back towards Cloud, not noticing that her blanket had slid off her shoulder, causing it to get caught under her foot. With a yelp, Tifa slipped and felt herself tumble forward.

Closing her eyes, Tifa braced herself for the inevitable pain, but instead of the cold stone ground, her face collided with something else that was hard, but pleasantly warm. A scent that she had grown quite familiar with entered her nostrils and she cracked an eye open, only to be greeted by the sight of Cloud's naked chest.

"You alright?" he asked her. Her lips parted, but no words came as her eyes were fixed on his bare skin, taking in every inch of it. A solitary hand brushed against him, leaving her fingertips tingling and screaming for more; to explore all of him.

It was the sound of her name on his lips that made her stop and slowly turn her gaze upward, meeting his concerned gaze.

"Everything alright?" he repeated.

She felt herself slowly nod. "Y-yeah."

Gently pushing herself away, she stood back up straight and instantly missed the warmth of his body. "Thanks for the save."

"Don't mention it."

They looked at each other, neither saying a word, until Cloud's eyes dropped to the hand that was still resting on his chest.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry, I—" she began pulling her hand away, but was quickly caught by Cloud, who held it gently in his own, running a thumb over it. Mako infused eyes turned back to look into her carmine ones.

A moment passed, followed by another, and another, with only the crackling of the fire and the faint sound of rain breaking the silence. Never once taking his eyes off her, Cloud slowly pulled her in, until she was firmly resting against him. Tifa's arms circled around him, and she buried her face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent and letting it soothe her worried mind.

After a few minutes of simply holding each other, Tifa pulled back to look at him. Her eyes were immediately drawn to his lips, slightly parted and looking just as inviting as they did that night.

Every fibre of her being screamed for her to kiss him. Not being able to resist anymore, she gave in.

Slowly, Tifa leaned forward, inching closer and closer. Cloud met her halfway, gently pressing his lips against hers in a kiss that set her senses ablaze. Hands trailed up his back, eliciting a pleasant groan from him as her nails dug lightly into his skin, until she buried her fingers into the back of his head.

She pressed herself closer against him, needing to feel him closer, as her tongue darted past parted lips to brush playfully against the tip of his; challenging him to a pleasurable duel for dominance that he willingly accepted.

A moan escaped her when his hand landed on her ass, giving it a squeeze through her shorts, and started to grind her pelvis against his in response. The feeling of his covered erection as it rubbed against her sent jolts of pleasure up her spine.

They broke the kiss and Cloud didn't waste any time attacking her exposed neck with kisses and little bites.

"Tifa…" Cloud groaned against her skin.

A gasp escaped her at the way her name sounded, the embarrassment she would have usually felt being burned away by the desire that had been building up inside her this entire time.

Her eyes rolled back a little as his hand slipped underneath her sport's bra, caressing the sensitive skin of her tits and teasing one of her nipples. With considerable effort on her part, Tifa pulled herself away from him to give him enough room to remove that dreaded piece of clothing from her. As soon as it had dropped to their feet, she was on him once more, capturing his lips in another deep kiss.

Caressing his chest, she let her hand travel down his body until it came to rest on the real prize and started stroking it through his shorts, enjoying the sounds that he was producing for her. The feeling of his hard cock, separated from her only by thin fabric, made the heat between her legs scream out in need and it took all her willpower not to rip his shorts off.

"Patience, patience," Cloud teased her after breaking the kiss, lowering his head to run his tongue across her collarbone.

"Cloud..." she mewled as he lowered himself further, planting open-mouthed kisses all over her tits but playfully avoiding her aching nipples all the while. It was driving her nuts! "Stop...teasing...me."

"Hehe, what's the magic word?" he asked, planting a kiss just shy of her areola.

"Pleaseeeeeee." No sooner had the word passed her lips, Cloud wrapped his mouth around a beige-colored nipple, flicking the tip of his tongue over it a few times before sucking on it.

Tifa threw her head backwards and moaned out, the sound of her pleasure echoing throughout the cavern, and the small, still rational part of her mind was glad that no one was here to listen in on them, before it too was drowned by the sensation she was feeling.

Not having the patience, nor desire, to wait any longer, she slipped her hand under the waistband of his shorts and grasped his dick. Heat pooled in her core at the feeling of his stiff manhood in her hand, his pulse beating against her fingertips, waking memories from when he slipped inside her.

He moaned against her nipple as her thumb ran over his cockhead, already slick with pre-cum, and Tifa cooed in delight as he rocked his hips to seek more of her.

"Patience, patience," she threw his words back at him teasingly.

"Screw patience!" he growled against her skin, before crashing his lips against hers once again, devouring every sound she made like it was the most delicious dish in the world.

Tifa yelped into the kiss as she felt herself being lifted off her feet, involuntarily pulling her hand out of his shorts and her legs wrapping around his waist to keep herself steady while he carried her a few steps. Only once her back was resting on one of the blankets, did their lips part, staring at each other with lust darkened eyes.

Not a word passed between them, instead, she opened her legs and watched as Cloud removed his last piece of clothing, biting her lip when his cock finally bounced free of its constraints; eager and ready to be inside her once more.

Raising her hips, her hands moved to remove her shorts, but he stopped her with a single glance that made her insides twist and turn in all the right ways. Dexterous fingers slipped underneath her waistband, wiggling them teasingly, before slowly inching the elastic fabric down and revealing to him the last piece that was still covering her.

The matching thong she had bought together with the dress.

"For me?" he asked, a smirk on his lips as he discarded her shorts.

"You said something mature would suit me," she replied.

"And you've been wearing it all this time?"

Pink stained her cheeks at his words and Tifa couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. She didn't really have the time to change back into a different pair of panties, not when Aerith had been around and Cloud was with Corneo.

Taking a deep breath to get rid of that feeling, she locked her eyes with him and quirked an eyebrow. "Do you like it?"

"I love it." His hands came to rest on her sides, caressing them, before moving down to remove that last piece of modesty remaining and revealing her fully to him. He held her thong in both of his hands, looking at it appreciatively. For a moment Tifa thought he might bring them close to his nose to smell them, but they soon joined the rest of what little they had worn.

She watched his eyes roam her body hungrily as he climbed back on top of her, making her squirm in anticipation.

"Beautiful," he murmured against her temple, his lips nothing more than a ghost on her skin as he trailed them across her face. Tifa's lips parted, eagerly awaiting him to claim them once more, only to release a disappointed whimper when passed by them and instead moved southward.

Her disappointment didn't last long though, as his hot breath soon came to rest on a hardened nipple, aching for just as much attention as her lips did. With an appreciative sound, Cloud sucked it into his mouth, eager to continue where he had left off only moments ago. Tifa did her best to push her chest out to give him better access.

She was so engrossed at the sensation, that she didn't immediately take note of his hand trailing the inside of her thigh, stroking the smooth skin there and moving closer and closer to the real prize.

A loud moan ripped through her as a single finger slipped into her wet hole, her insides spasming a little at the sudden, but not unwelcome intrusion. Another finger soon joined, moving in and out of her in a slow rhythm that simultaneously made her toes curl into the blanket and drove her to the brink of insanity.

"Cloud...please..." Tifa begged, fingers clawing into his hair. Using all the strength she could still muster, she pulled Cloud away from her nipple and looked at him, trying to tell him with her eyes just what she wanted. She expected him to tease, to give her that infuriating smirk of his, but instead he nodded.

His fingers slid out of her with a wet sound, and Tifa couldn't help but whimper at the empty feeling they left behind, even though she knew they would be replaced by something far better. Lowering himself properly between her legs, he placed the tip of his cock against her glistening folds, seeking her eyes one final time before he _finally_ pushed into her.

Her back arched, eyelids fluttering as little by little his entire length came to rest inside her, overloading her senses and making them sing in delight as her body welcomed him. A moan made its way past Cloud's lips as he fully sheathed himself in her, and Tifa clung to him like a castaway to a life line at the feeling of absolute fullness.

A moment passed before Cloud started to move and, knowing there was no need to hold back, started to fuck her in earnest. Tifa bent her legs to grant him better access, her thighs coming to firmly press against his waist while her feet dangled in the air, moving with every thrust that he did.

"Tifa," he gasped into her ear. Her hand grasped the arm he was using to brace himself on the blanket, her nails digging into his skin when he hit an especially sensitive spot and turning the last syllable of her name into a hiss. If he was in any real pain, he didn't show it and instead focused on trying to hit that very spot over and over again.

Around them the cavern grew darker as the fire started to die on them, but Tifa didn't pay it much mind as Cloud laid into her, every moan, every gasp, begging him for more. Half lidded eyes focused on his face, the light of the remaining fire mixing together with that of the fungi framing him and making his eyes stand out as they faintly glowed down on her. A shudder went through her, feeling a bit like an animal trapped by a predator that was ready to pounce and sink its teeth into soft flesh before ripping it apart.

But she knew there was nothing to be afraid of; that she could trust him, and what little fear she felt in the deepest recesses of her lizard brain quickly evaporated when their lips met in a tender kiss.

His hands slipped under her back and she felt herself being lifted up into a sitting position, her legs instinctually crossing behind him and arms wrapping around his neck. She pressed her forehead against Cloud's, the sweat beading on their brows intermingling and becoming one as they remained like this for a short moment to adjust to this new position.

A sigh made its way past her lips when she felt Cloud slip out of her, followed by a moan as he buried himself back in. Her own hips started to rise and fall, meeting every single one of his thrusts and intensifying that sweet, sweet friction they both desired so much.

Her tits bounced with every motion, nipples occasionally brushing against his toned chest, as their movements became faster, rougher; the sounds of their lovemaking echoing throughout this space of seclusion and were only rivalled by the noises Cloud was eliciting from her.

She was glad that they were alone, or she might have died of embarrassment of just how loud she was.

"C-Cloud!" she panted, her voice hitching as she felt her climax approaching.

A growl rumbled from deep within his chest, his face scrunching up in a strained expression, and his arms tightened around her. Hot lips pressed themselves against her skin, leaving a fiery trail wherever they went, the tip of his tongue feeling like the licking on flames that threatened to swallow her whole.

Pressing herself tight against him, Tifa buried her face into his shoulder. Their movements became desperate, frantically seeking that feeling of absolute bliss. She could feel his cock twitch inside her, ready to pump her full of cum that her body was eager to receive, her vaginal walls clutching and gripping him tightly.

"Cloud...P-Please...toge—" she couldn't even finish, her mind going numb and her body seizing up as she came crashing down, crying out her release.

"Tifa!" With a grunt, Cloud buried himself deep, his balls firmly pressing against her ass and his back muscles tensing under her fingers, before blowing his load inside of her, filling her with a soothing heat that pushed her over the edge for a second time.

They clung to each other almost desperately, bodies shaking from the intensity of their orgasm. It lasted less than a minute, but it felt like an eternity, and soon enough they came down from their high, their bodies entering that state of sweet, coital bliss.

Tifa pulled away enough to face Cloud, a smile on her still shaking lips, before dipping her head forward to kiss him. She felt him tilting backwards and soon found herself on top of him as he laid down on the blanket.

After breaking the kiss, Tifa rolled off Cloud, lying down next to him and snuggling against his side, releasing a contented sigh when he pulled her close against him.

Sweaty and tired they remained there, simply basking in the closeness of one another, sharing only a few words and otherwise remaining silent, before they both fell into blissful sleep, surrounded by the natural glow of their little sanctuary.

* * *

Tifa found herself looking up as she stepped out of the cave. The sky was still draped in gray, with only a few cracks in them as the telltale sign that it would be a bright and sunny day later. Air still humid and the ground under her shoes muddy served as further testament to the storm that had lasted into the early morning hours.

She grimaced a little at the already warm temperatures and could tell this was going to be a real toasty December day that would make her want to kill for a shower by midday. She could already smell the rain evaporating off the rocks.

Steps from behind her made her turn on her heels, revealing Cloud as he stepped out of the cave, holding the rolled up blankets under one arm each.

"Looks like a sunny day today," Cloud commented, squinting a little as his eyes adjusted to the daylight once again.

"Yup. Think we can make it today?"

"Should be no problem with that." He nodded towards the folded map in her hand.

"Mmh." Tifa unfolded the map and looked at it. It was a detailed map of the area surrounding Midgar and the plain beyond the canyons. The last time she had to read a map like this had been years ago, but she was sure she could manage.

Besides—

Tifa looked back towards Cloud who had stepped closer to her to peek at the map as well.

—she had Cloud with her.

He noticed her looking at him, and the corners of his lips rose into a small smile that she couldn't help but return with one of her own. They remained like this for a moment, neither saying a word, and Tifa felt herself inching a little closer, when a screeching sound from above made them jump apart and look up.

Birds.

Just a group of birds flying high above the canyon towards unknown skies.

Kind of like them and their friends.

Tifa released a sigh, eyes returning to the map. Yesterday night had been amazing, but they needed to return to their friends before they got worried.

"We should be here," Tifa said after a few minutes. "That means we've actually made it pretty far. If we're fast we can make it to Kalm by late afternoon."

"Sounds good."

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's go!" With a grin, Tifa folded the map back up, looped an arm through one of his and started to gently drag him into the direction they needed to go.

Cloud chuckled and shook his head, but fell in step next to her as they continued onward on their journey.

"Yes, Ma'am!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things sure lead to one another with those two, huh? I blame the sexual tension.

**Author's Note:**

> Hm hm hm, playing around with the party mechanic here. Have you ever wondered what would be if you could take Cloud out of the party? Well there you go.


End file.
